Ladies GAA teams first to benefit from Councils new cash for sports scheme

by Gráinne Connolly

At a council meeting last week, Councillors backed a new award for successful sports teams or individuals throughout the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area. 

It was proposed that a grant of £500 would be offered to individuals and £1000 to groups or teams. 

Currently the council are already providing funding or financial support for amateur sporting individuals or teams through grants schemes, which supports either planned participation in particular events or performances at a certain level. 

However, there's been no funding or in-kind support mechanism to assist those who have achieved significant sporting success; such as reaching the pinnacle of their particular sport following a performance or selection process. 

These would be success which arise when an individual or team wins the opportunity to participate in a national or international event of significance; like the All-Ireland final in the case of both Tyrone and Fermanagh ladies GAA teams. 

Fermanagh were crowned Junior All-Ireland champions this year, while Tyrone were runners up in the Intermediate All-Ireland final; making them the first to avail of the money. 

A number of conditions will be attached to the new award:

• To qualify the sporting achievement must be significant - reaching a national or international final or event. 
   
• The individual or team must have amateur status and their sport must be affiliated to a recognised Governing Body of Sport.#
   
• The individual or team members must reside within the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area or represent the District through participation.

It was also decided that financial assistance would be determined on a case by case basis, as all events or competitions are different as well as the participants.